Recycled plastic tombstone and production method therefor

ABSTRACT

A tombstone is provided having a stone appearance. The tombstone includes a tombstone base and a tombstone head made of recycled plastic. The tombstone is made of high impact plastic diverted from a waste stream and injection molded under pressure of at least about 1 MPa. The lightweight plastic tombstone is secured by digging a hole; pouring uncured cement into the hole; inserting a spike through the tombstone into the uncured cement; and allowing the uncured cement to cure.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application No. 62/883,829, filed Aug. 7, 2019, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a faux stone tombstone and, more particularly, to a tombstone having a stone appearance comprising recycled plastic.

Modern society produces plastics at an astounding rate, depleting natural resources and causing pollution.

A commercially available stone monument requires removing natural stone from the ground and costs about $3000 to about $5000 at the time of writing. They are not weather tolerant, and they do not hold up their appearance well over time. In some instances, stone monuments have fallen on people and killed them.

As can be seen, there is a need for a way to divert used plastics from waste disposal and there is a need for a cheaper, lighter, safer, and longer lasting stone monument.

The inventive recycled plastic tombstone gives plastic an end-of-life-cycle use and provides a low-cost alternative to expensive stone markers. The inventive tombstone costs about 10% of a commercially available stone monument, making a tombstone affordable for a greater percentage of the population. It is better for the environment to use plastic than to dispose of it in a landfill. Plastic lasts three to five times longer than commercially available stone monuments and is lighter and therefor safer.

The inventive method provides recycled plastic articles with the appearance of natural stone and/or marble that may replace any signage that is currently used for memorials and statues, as well as any other devices that convey static information to humans.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a tombstone is provided having a stone appearance, comprising a tombstone base and a tombstone head, wherein the tombstone base and the tombstone head comprise recycled plastic.

In another aspect of the present invention, a method of manufacturing a tombstone having a stone appearance is provided. The method comprises providing high impact plastic diverted from a waste stream; and injection-molding the high impact plastic under pressure of at least about 1 MPa.

In another aspect of the present invention, a method of securing a lightweight plastic tombstone is provided. The method comprises digging a hole; pouring uncured cement into the hole; inserting a spike through the lightweight plastic tombstone into the uncured cement; and allowing the uncured cement to cure.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description, and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the recycled material tombstone;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view thereof; and

FIG. 5 is an exploded view thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Broadly, one embodiment of the present invention is a faux stone display, such as a tombstone, manufactured of recycled plastic.

As used herein, the term “high impact plastic” generally refers to an impact-resistant thermoformable polystyrene material. The material may include a minor amount of rubber or butadiene copolymer to increase toughness and impact strength. However, the invention is not limited to polystyrene or mixtures thereof.

The components may be assembled, for example with screws, to make a final product. The assembled product may be secured to a fixed object, such as an anti-theft spike installed in the ground, to prevent theft. For example, an anti-theft stake may be mounted by digging a hole below the frost line, applying wet cement, and inserting the anti-theft stake into the cement. The cement may then be allowed to dry. The stake set in cement is generally operable to attach the base of the tombstone to the ground.

In some embodiments, the tombstone may be provided with one or more decorative or informational face plates. The face plate or face plates may be provided with a face plate frame and/or a face plate seal. For example, the seal may be manufactured from rubber. In some embodiments, the frame and face plate may be removed and replaced with aftermarket components as desired. The face plates may be attached to the tombstone with one or more attachment components, which may be, for example, screws, glue, or heat-weld joints.

The present invention also provides a process to recycle plastic and give the plastic the appearance of stone. High impact plastic may be formed under pressure by injection molding to make components according to an embodiment of the invention. For example, the plastic may be injected into the mold at a pressure of at least about 1 MPa, such as from about 1 MPa to about 5 MPa, and a temperature of about 400° F. to about 1100° F.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 5, FIGS. 1-4 show a recycled material tombstone 10 according to an embodiment of the invention, comprising a tombstone head 12 and a tombstone base 14. The tombstone base 14 may be secured to a surface, such as the ground or cement, with a stake 16. The recycled material tombstone 10 may display information printed on a lower script plate 18 and an upper script plate 20. As shown in FIG. 5, the upper script plate 20 may be protected with an upper script plate seal 24 and held in place with an upper script plate cover 22 and a plurality of screws 26.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A tombstone having a stone appearance, comprising a tombstone base and a tombstone head, wherein the tombstone base and the tombstone head comprise recycled plastic.
 2. The tombstone of claim 1, further comprising a stake operable to attach the tombstone base to a surface.
 3. The tombstone of claim 1, wherein the tombstone further comprises one or more face plates.
 4. The tombstone of claim 3, wherein the tombstone further comprises a face plate frame.
 5. The tombstone of claim 3, wherein the tombstone further comprises a face plate seal.
 6. The tombstone of claim 3, wherein the one or more face plates are attached to the tombstone with one or more attachment components.
 7. The tombstone of claim 1, further comprising a stake operable to attach the tombstone base to a surface; one or more face plates attached to the tombstone with one or more attachment components; a face plate frame; and a face plate seal.
 8. A method of manufacturing a tombstone having a stone appearance, said method comprising: a. providing high impact plastic diverted from a waste stream; and b. injection-molding the high impact plastic under pressure of at least about 1 MPa.
 9. A method of securing a lightweight plastic tombstone, comprising: a. digging a hole; b. pouring uncured cement into the hole; c. inserting a spike through the lightweight plastic tombstone into the uncured cement; and d. allowing the uncured cement to cure. 